Steering apparatus for self-propelled vehicles.



' N0.- 694,478. Patented Mar. 4, I902.

J. F. HURTIG.

STEERING APPABATUS'FOR SELF PROPELLED VEHIGLES.'

(Application filed Sept. 6. 1901.)

- (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

'No. 694,478. Patented Mar. 4, I902.

J. F. HURTIG.

STEERING APPARATUS FOR SELF PROPELLED VEHICLES.

(Applieaxion filed Sept. 6. 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Shaetsheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. HURTIG, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STE ERING APPARATUS FOR SE LF-PROPELLED VEHICLES.

SEEGIFICATION forming partof' Letters Patent No. 694,478, dated March 4,1902.

Application filed September 6, 1901. $eria11l'o. 74,528. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. HURTIG, acitizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in SteeringApparatus for Self-Propelled Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.-

My invention has relation to improvements in steering apparatus forself-propelled vehicles; and it consists in the novel arrangement andcombination of parts more'fully set forth in the specification andpointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile having myinvention applied thereto. F1 g. 2 is a detachedside elevation of thesteering apparatus, parts of the wagon-body being shown in section.-Fig. 3 is a similar view of the upper portion thereof, showing the forkwhich is mounted on the adjusting-screw disengaged from the mainsteering-lever. Fig. t is a top plan of the device. Fig. 5 is a verticalsection on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is an elevation of a sectionof a modified form of track for the steering-lever. t

The object of my invention is to construct a steering apparatus forself-propelled vehicles which shall be under perfect control of theoperator, one capable of accurate ad justment,one which is unaffected bythe roughness or characterof road passed over or by the jarring incidentthereto, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparentfrom a detailed description of the invention, which is as follows: 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the body of the vehicle, 2 therear axle, and 3 the coupling-pole. The front of the body 1- issupported by springs 4:, which rest upon the upper stationary disk 5 ofthe fifth-wheel, the lower or rotatable disk 5 of the fifthwheel beingcoupled to the front truck or axle 6. Secured to the stationary disk 5and pass ing freely through the body of the wagon and extending asuitable distance above thefloor thereof is a frame7, whose upper endcarries a semicircular trackS; The steering-rod 9,

I 14,cast with the steering-rod.

whose lower end is rigidly secured to the rotatable disk 5', passesfreely through the disk 5 and through a suitable bearing or bracket 10,which supports the upper portion thereof. The upper end of thesteering-rod has pivotally secured thereto (to swing in a verticalplane) the st-eeringdever 11, to the under side of which is mounted aroller 12, adapted to run along the track 8 of the frame, the contactbeing assured by a spring 13, connected, respectively, to the lever andto a lug or arm The lower end of the spring is coupled directly to ascrewbolt 15, passed through the lug 14, the screwthreaded end of thebolt being provided with 'a wing-nut 16, by which the tension of thespringmay-be adjusted. To turn the rod 9,

and thus'turn the front truck, the operator simply swings the lever 11in a horizontal plane, (see dotted position, Fig. 4,) the roller 12under the circumstances traveling on the track 8.

For very fine adjustments of the lever 11 I engage the latter with afork 17, mounted T on a screw 18, which is supported between brackets19, cast with or secured to the face of the track 8, the opposite endsof the screw being provided with hand disks or wheels 20,

by'which the operator may impart rotation thereto in either direction.Of course during the rotation of'the screw 18 the fork will travel alongthe same and carry the lever 11 with it. motion of the lever under thecircumstances and prevent binding of the latter against the arms of thefork, I bevel the'inner faces of the fork, leaving a single contact edgebetween such face 21 and the adjacent surface of the lever. (See Figs. 4and 5.) By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that an engagement of thefork 17-with the lever 11 raises the lever sufficiently to remove theroller 12 off the track. This arrangement is essential to insure againstany possible disengagement between the fork and lever, the spring 13constantly drawing down on the lever toretain the same within'the forkand preventing accidental displacement of the latter. Under thosecircumstances of course the'screw 18 supports not only the full weightof the steer To better allow for theswinging' ing-lever, but issubjected to the full pressure exerted by the action of the spring. Tosteer the vehicle under ordinary circumstances, the fork 17 is thrownout of engagement. (See Fig. 3.)

\Vhile I have shown a track with a plane edge, the latter may bescalloped, as shown in the modification S in Fig. 6, in which event Iemploy a corresponding pinion 12' as a substitute for the cylindricalroller 12 shown in the main construction.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A steering apparatusfor vehicles comprising a lower rotatable disk, a rigid frame mountedabove the same, a steering-rod secured at one end to the disk andpassing loosely through the frame, a lever pivoted to the steering-rod,a curved track about which said lever can ride during the horizontaloscillation thereof, and a spring for drawing the lever firmly to thetrack, substantially as set forth.

2. A steering apparatus for vehicles comprising a lower rotatable disk,a rigid frame mounted above the same, a steering-rod secured at one endto the disk and passing loosely through the frame, a lever pivoted tothe steering-rod, a roller on said lever, a curved track for saidroller, and a spring for drawing the lever firmly to the track,substantially as set forth.

3. A steering apparatus for vehicles comprising a lower rotatable disk,a rigid frame mounted above the same, a steering-rod secured at one endto the disk and passing loosely through the frame, a lever pivoted tothe rod, a roller on said lever, a curved track for the roller, a springdrawing down the lever against the track, an adjusting-screw mounted inproximity to the lever, and a fork movable along said screw and adaptedto be coupled to the lever, substantially as set forth.

4. In a steering apparatus for vehicles, a horizontally-swingingsteering-lever, intermediate connections between one end of the same andthe front truck, a horizontally-disposed adjusting-screw, a fork mountedon said screw and adapted to embrace the lever, the engaging faces ofthe fork being beveled, substantially as set forth.

5. A steering apparatus for vehicles comprising a lower rotatable disksecured to the truck of the wagon, an upper stationary disk secured tothe coupling-pole of the wagon, a frame mounted on the stationary disk,asteering-rod passing loosely through the frame and through thestationary disk and having its lower end secured to the rotatable disk,a curved track on said frame, a lever pivoted to the steering-rod, aroller mounted on the lever and engaging said track, a spring having oneend coupled to the lever, a lug on the steering-rod to which theopposite end of the spring is secured, and means for adjusting thetension of the spring, substantially as set forth.

6. In a steering apparatus for vehicles, a horizontally-swingingsteering-lever, intermediate connections between one end of the same andthe wagon truck, a rigid frame mounted above the truck, a carved trackcarried by the frame, the lever being adapted to ride along said track,and means for positively holding the lever against the track,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. IIURTIG.

Vitnesses:

EMIL STAREK, G. L. BELFRY.

